“My Ascension upset the balance. That caused the Ancients to wake, which led to the deaths—”
“But it was not your choice. Nor was it a result of your actions.” Holland set his glass aside. “I have a feeling that if you had known what would happen, you would have done everything in your power to ensure it didn’t—even if that meant forsaking your life.”
He was right. There was no way I would’ve chosen life, knowing it meant an untold number of people would lose theirs.
Gods. Everything suddenly felt heavy. My bones. My skin. My organs.
“The Ancients in the ground there were disturbed before your Ascension,” Thorne said, his eyes narrowing as he studied me. “The mortals were encroaching upon places…sacred to those who’d built their realm. Some started Awakening eons before because of it—their sleep full of unrest. We sensed it.”
“Are you saying they would’ve Awakened anyway?”
He took a drink and nodded. “It is quite possible.”
Possible.Notguaranteed. And even if they were bound to wake, it didn’t take away the fact that they had now because of me.
“You didn’t know, Poppy.” Lowering his foot to the floor, Holland rested his arms on his knees. “You didn’t choose this,” he repeated. “Their blood isn’t on your hands.”
My heart joined the twisting in my stomach. I could taste the sourness of my guilt as my eyes fell closed. It choked me, even though what he’d said was true.
“However, if you allow yourself to wallow in guilt that does not belong to you, then youwillhave the blood of hundreds of thousands on your hands.”
My eyes snapped open, and I faced him. “I’m not wallowing. I know I’m not actively at fault but knowing that my mere existence caused all that death is still a lot to process.”
“I understand,” Holland said. “But we must focus on what is at hand and what is at risk now. Not all the Ancients Awakened. There are more—ones asleep deep beneath the streets of Solis and the homes of Atlantia. And their rest has also been disturbed.”
My arms unfolded. “By my Ascension?”
“By your birth and Kolis’s awakening,” Lirian said, propping his head against the window.
Great. “How many?”
“The exact number is unknown, but that doesn’t matter, Poppy,” Holland said. “You saw what one Awakening is capable of.”
I had. “How do I make sure more don’t Awaken?”
“You already know,” he said. “You must stop Kolis.”
“But he’s a Primal of a Court. Who will rise—?” I cut myself off. “Nyktos. And…”
And Casteel? If he was like me, a true Primal of Death? Something about that didn’tfeelright.
“I can neither confirm nor deny that.”
My eyes narrowed on Holland.
“But that is not an issue right now,” he continued, and someone—Thorne?—snorted. “Kolis cannot remain in the mortal realm for various reasons.” The blue and green of his eyes began to churn as what sounded like Lirian banging his head off the window came from his direction. “The first is that Kolis is a Primal of a Court.”
“His presence will influence the mortal realm,” I said, “where ours would not.”
“And you know what that means.”
I did. And I didn’t need the gift of Primal knowledge to know.
Death.
“Primals of a Court are not meant to linger among the mortals. His presence in the mortal realm has already upset the balance. The longer he remains, the more the balance tips. But…” Holland took a deep breath. “That is not all.”
“Of course, it’s not,” I muttered, my heart thumping.
